Fault tolerant physical layer solution for FOUNDATION FIELDBUS H1 networks or other networks in industrial process control and automation systems

Abstract

An apparatus includes at least one processing device configured to detect a cable fault that divides a network segment into first and second portions and that communicatively disconnects the second portion from the first portion. The apparatus also includes repeater configured to communicatively connect the second portion of the network segment to the first portion of the network segment such that one or more devices associated with the first portion maintain communication with one or more devices associated with the second portion. The at least one processing device could identify whether one or more of multiple linking devices coupled to the network segment are operating as active link masters using at least some of the decoded messages and detect the cable fault when more than one of the linking devices is operating as an active link master.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processing device configured to detect a cable fault that divides a network segment into first and second portions and that communicatively disconnects the second portion of the network segment from the first portion of the network segment; 
 a repeater configured to communicatively connect the second portion of the network segment to the first portion of the network segment such that one or more devices associated with the first portion of the network segment maintain communication with one or more devices associated with the second portion of the network segment; and 
 a communication controller configured to receive and decode messages transmitted over the first and second portions of the network segment; 
 wherein the at least one processing device is configured to detect the cable fault using at least some of the decoded messages,
 identify whether one or more of multiple linking devices coupled to the network segment are operating as active link masters using at least some of the decoded messages; and 
 
 detect the cable fault when more than one of the linking devices is operating as an active link master. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 multiple switches configured to be closed to couple the repeater to the first and second portions of the network segment. 
 
     
     
       3. An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processing device configured to detect a cable fault that divides a network 
 segment into first and second portions and that communicatively disconnects the second portion of the network segment from the first portion of the network segment: and 
 a repeater configured to communicatively connect the second portion of the network segment to the first position of the network segment such that one or more devices associated with the first portion of the network segment maintain communication with one or more devices associated with the second poltion of the network segment; 
 wherein the repeater comprises multiple bus terminators configured to be activated in response to the detected cable fault, different bus terminators associated with different ones of the first and second portions of the network segment. 
 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 one or more switches configured to be closed to couple at least one of the bus terminators to at least one of the first and second portions of the network segment. 
 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a communication controller configured to receive and decode messages transmitted over the first and second portions of the network segment; 
 wherein the at least one processing device is configured to detect the cable fault using at least some of the decoded messages. 
 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising: multiple medium attachment units configured to couple the apparatus to the first and second portions of the network segment and to provide the messages to the communication controller. 
     
     
       7. A system comprising:
 a network segment comprising (i) cabling that couples multiple junction boxes configured to be coupled to multiple devices and (ii) power supplies configured to provide power to the multiple devices; and 
 a dynamic synchronization repeater comprising: 
 at least one processing device configured to detect a cable fault that divides the network segment into first and second portions and that communicatively disconnects the second portion of the network segment from the first portion of the network segment; and 
 a repeater configured to communicatively connect the second portion of the network segment to the first portion of the network segment such that one or more of the multiple devices that are associated with the first portion of the network segment maintain communication with one or more other of the multiple devices that are associated with the second portion of the network segment; 
 wherein the repeater comprises multiple bus terminators configured to be activated in response to the detected cable fault, different bus terminators associated with different ones of the first and second poliions of the network segment. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the dynamic synchronization repeater further comprises multiple switches configured to be closed to couple the repeater to the first and second portions of the network segment. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the dynamic synchronization repeater further comprises one or more switches configured to be dosed to couple at least one of the bus terminators to at least one of the first and second portions of the network segment. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: closing one or more switches to couple at least one of the bus terminators to at least one of the first and second poliions of the network segment. 
     
     
       11. A system comprising:
 a network segment comprising (i) cabling that couples multiple junction boxes configured to 
 be coupled to multiple devices and (ii) power supplies configured to provide power to the multiple devices; and 
 a dynamic synchronization repeater comprising: 
 at least one processing device configured to detect a cable fault that divides the 
 network segment into first and second portions and that communicatively disconnects the second position of the network segment from the first portion of the network segment; 
 a repeater configured to communicatively connect the second position of the network 
 segment to the first position of the network segment such that one or more of the multiple devices that are associated with the first portion of the network segment maintain communication with one or more other of the multiple devices that are associated with the second portion of the network segment; and 
 the dynamic synchronization repeater further comprises a communication controller configured to receive and decode messages transmitted over the first and second portions of the network segment; 
 wherein the at least one processing device is configured to: 
 detect the cable fault using at least some of the decoded messages, 
 identify whether one or more of multiple linking devices coupled to the network segment are operating as active link masters using at least some of the decoded messages; and 
 detect the cable fault when more than one of the linking devices is operating as an active link master. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the dynamic synchronization repeater further comprises multiple medium attachment units configured to couple the dynamic synchronization repeater to the first and second portions of the network segment and to provide the messages to the communication controller. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the repeater comprises multiple bus terminators configured to be activated in response to the detected cable fault, different bus terminators associated with different ones of the first and second portions of the network segment. 
     
     
       14. A method comprising:
 detecting, using at least one processing device, a cable fault that divides a network segment into first and second portions and that communicatively discomlects the second portion of the network segment from the first portion of the network segment; and 
 communicatively connecting the second portion of the network segment to the first portion of the network segment using a repeater such that one or more devices associated with the first poliion of the network segment maintain communication with one or more devices associated with the second portion of the network segment; 
 wherein the repeater comprises multiple bus terminators configured to be activated in response to the detected cable fault different bus terminators associated with different ones of the first and second portions of the network segment. 
 
     
     
       15. A method comprising: The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 detecting, using at least one processing device, a cable fault that divides a network segment into first and second portions and that communicatively disconnects the second portion of the network segment from the first portion of the network segment; 
 communicatively connecting the second portion of the network segment to the first portion of the network segment using a repeater such that one or more devices associated with the first portion of the network segment maintain communication with one or more devices associated with the second portion of the network segment; and 
 receiving and decoding messages transmitted over the first and second portions of the network segment; 
 wherein detecting the cable fault comprises detecting the cable fault using at least some of the decoded messages. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein detecting the cable fault using at least some of the decoded messages comprises:
 identifying whether one or more of multiple linking devices coupled to the network segment are operating as active link masters using at least some of the decoded messages; and detecting the cable fault when more than one of the linking devices is operating as an active link master. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 closing multiple switches to couple the repeater to the first and second poliions of the network segment. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the repeater comprises multiple bus terminators configured to be activated in response to the detected cable fault, different bus terminators associated with different ones of the first and second portions of the network segment.